Measuring Age: Chronology and Its Alternatives

abstract: This article critiques the dominance of chronological age in contemporary society. The first section examines the rise of chronological age, linking it to the development of the modern welfare state. The authors then discuss several alternative non-chronological accounts of age found in anthropological literature and popular culture. This discussion shows that age is malleable and socially produced. Finally, the authors analyze some of the strengths, limitations, and discriminatory potential of chronological age in medicine and education. Just as "gender" and "race" have been redefined, "age" can be reconceptualized as a characteristic that distinguishes individuals by their perceived life course position. This critique of assumptions that age must be chronological and absolute exposes ideological biases underlying assessments of health and normative development.